Fifty-ninth General Assembly

Third Committee

1^st & 2^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

People-centred development requires better integration of economic,

social policies, third Committee told, as it begins current session

Ensuring the implementation of a people-centred approach to development required a better integration of economic and social policies, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) was told today, as it began its work during the current General Assembly session.

Centring the discussion of issues related to social development squarely on the need better to integrate economic and social policies, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs José Antonio Ocampo stressed that, in addition to the sustained economic growth critical to poverty reduction, fundamental development aspects such as employment, education, health care and social integration must be brought back into policy formation if the causes of poverty were to be addressed successfully.  Concerns about the impact of globalization on social conditions were also central to that integration.

The controversy surrounding globalization and the surge of security issues on the international agenda should not detract intergovernmental attention from the social and cultural implications of globalization and their impact on development, he warned.  Furthermore, social development was a national responsibility, but it could not be successful without systematic effort at all levels of policy-making to place people at the centre of public strategies and actions.

Throughout the subsequent dialogue with the Under-Secretary-General, as well as the general discussion, the importance of ensuring that adequate attention be given to more traditionally “social” issues in achieving development was repeatedly reaffirmed, with several government representatives highlighting the role played by equitable social development in maintenance of international peace and security, as well as sustainable national economic development.

Moreover, although many Member States expressed concern that rampant globalization had negatively impacted the worldwide social situation, most recognized that globalization itself was not a natural phenomenon, but one that was directed by individual decisions and could, therefore, be controlled.  As the Under-Secretary-General noted, some of the countries that had best succeeded in achieving economic growth in the past 25 years had done so by exploiting the opportunities offered by globalization.  It was the ability of national governments to manage the phenomenon that was critical.  The point was not to oppose it, but to use it.

With the 10 year anniversaries of the World Summit for Social Development and the International Year of the Family fast approaching, many delegates also expressed hope that activities organized in observance of those events would include follow-up on the implementation of their conclusions and recommendations.

The close of the United Nations Literacy Decade prompted many to reflect upon the fact that, worldwide, more than 100 million children remained out of school, and some 800 million adults remained illiterate -– most of them women and girls.  Concrete actions were needed to implement “Education for All” strategies and to highlight the importance of literacy campaigns.

Opening the Third Committee’s first meeting of the fifty-ninth General Assembly, Chairperson Valeriy P. Kuchinsky (Ukraine) noted that the Bureau had developed a good collegial and business-like approach to its work, which should be a good omen for the ultimate success of the Committee’s current efforts.  However, the support and guidance of Member States would be necessary to achieve positive and tangible results:  all delegations should be punctual and respect the time limits adopted for general statements and those in right of reply, as well as the deadlines for submission of proposals and inscription on the speakers’ list.  Guidelines related to reduction in the length and number of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, and those related to allowing sufficient time for preparation of expenditure estimates should also be respected.

As its first items of business, the Committee adopted its programme of work, contained in document A/C.3/59/L.1/Rev.1, as orally adjusted and corrected by the Secretary, and decided to extend invitations to address the Committee to a number of Special Rapporteurs and independent experts of the Commission on Human Rights.

The Committee also appointed Committee Vice-Chairperson Astanah Banu Shri Abdul Aziz (Malaysia) as Facilitator for informal consultations on the further rationalization of the Committee’s programme and methods of work.

Among those addressing the Third Committee today, Johan Schölvinck, Director of the United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development, introduced several reports of the Secretary-General on issues related to social development, including youth, family, disabled persons and implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly.

Viviane Launay, Director of the New York Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), presented the report on Implementation of the International Plan of Action for the United Nations Literacy Decade, and Doris Bertrand, Inspector of the Joint Inspection Unit, presented her report on Achieving the Universal Primary Education Goal of the Millennium Declaration.

Also speaking today were the representatives of Qatar (on behalf of the “Group of 77” developing countries and China), the Netherlands (on behalf of the European Union), China, Brazil (on behalf of the Rio Group),Saint Lucia (on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)), Ghana, Switzerland, Denmark, Pakistan, Norway, Côte d’Ivoire and Saudi Arabia.  The representative of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies also addressed the Committee.

The Third Committee will meet again at 10a.m. tomorrow, 5 October, to continue its general discussion of issues related to social development.

Background

As the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today began its general discussion on issues related to social development, it had before it the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and of the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly (document A/59/120).  The report recalls the priority themes considered by the Commission for Social Development:  eradication of poverty; achieving full and productive employment and enhancing social integration; provision of social services and social protection; integration of social and economic policy; national and international cooperation for social development and improvement of public sector effectiveness.  It also analyses the Commission’s conclusions on those issues.

The report concludes that three issues appear to be of particular interest to countries struggling to define their role in a globalizing and interdependent world economy:  the social aspects of globalization; the compatibility of macroeconomic policies to social development goals; and the capacity of national governments to define and implement social policies.  In the context of United Nations events taking place in 2005, the report encourages the General Assembly to recommend that particular attention be given to the principle of a people-centred approach and its realization in public policies and development strategies.

A report of the Secretary-General on the follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing (document A/59/164) provides information on the efforts and activities of the Secretariat and United Nations system funds, programmes and specialized agencies, as well as major international non-governmental organizations on ageing, to implement the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.  It highlights the progress achieved to date in the implementation of the Madrid Plan, as well as obstacles to the process.

The report concludes that, while some progress has been achieved since 2002, particularly on linking ageing and development within the organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, more effort is required to implement the developmental perspective of ageing policy at the national level.  More effort is also needed to maintain priority on the international agenda for follow-up to the Second World Assembly on Ageing.  The General Assembly is encouraged to call on governments, United Nations system agencies and organizations, and non-governmental organizations to incorporate the concerns of older persons and the challenges of population ageing into their programmes and projects.

The report of the Secretary-General on Preparations for and observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family in 2004 (document A/59/176) accompanies the Secretary-General’s report on activities undertaken at all levels in observance of the tenth anniversary of the International Year to the Commission for Social Development and provides additional information and analysis of the situation of families worldwide, as well as approaches undertaken, primarily at the national level, in family policy and in support of families.  Among its recommendations, the report suggests that governments may wish to establish three institutional pillars for integration of family issues in national development policies and programmes:  a national commitment at the highest level of government; an effective national coordinating mechanism; and appropriate family support legislation and social services.

The note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Implementation of the International Plan of Action for the United Nations Literacy Decade (document A/59/267) provides information on international, regional and national activities undertaken to launch the Decade; activities of United Nations organizations and other partners to advance literacy during 2003 and through to May 2004; and on examples of current literacy projects from around the world, to demonstrate what is being done to address the objectives of the Literacy Decade internationally, nationally and locally.

The report also offers recommendations to strengthen the Literacy Decade effort including, calling for effective and substantive integration of United Nations Literacy Decade efforts with the Education for All (EFA) and Millennium Development Goals processes.  It also recommends, among other things, an enhanced linkage between the Decade and other global initiatives such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-led United Nations Girls’ Education Initiative (UNGEI), the EFA Flagship Programme on Education for Rural People (ERP) and the forthcoming United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014).

Also before the Committee was a report of the Joint Inspection Unit entitled Achieving the universal primary education goal of the Millennium Declaration:  new challenges for development cooperation (document A/59/76) and a note by the Secretary-General transmitting his comments on that report (document A/59/76/Add.1 and Corr.1).  Noting that latest education statistics showed that 104 million children are presently deprived of access to primary education, and that most of the children out of school are girls, the report takes into consideration the impact of the shortage of teachers and the HIV/AIDS epidemic on access to primary education.  It also raises the question of those who “miss out on education”:  children who are never enrolled; those enrolled who do not complete their schooling; and those who complete their schooling but do not acquire the reading, writing, numeracy and life skills that constitute basic education.

Acknowledging that the primary responsibility for development and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals rests with national governments, the report addresses the role played by the international donor community, especially the United Nations system organizations, in assisting countries to attain the education goal and includes a number of recommendations for those organizations.

Chairman’s Opening Statement

Opening the first meeting of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) of the fifty-ninth regular session of the United Nations General Assembly, Chairman VALERIY P. KUCHINSKY (Ukraine) said the Committee’s Bureau had held 11 formal and a number of informal meetings since its election in June, and had developed a good collegial and business-like approach to its work.  That was a good omen for the ultimate success of the Committee’s efforts during this General Assembly.  Yet, he wished to underscore the importance of the Committee’s work, which covered a number of sensitive matters, as well as the need for support and guidance from Member States to achieve positive and tangible results.

Reviewing the guidelines for conduct of work contained in the report of the Assembly’s General Committee, he urged Member States to be punctual and to respect the time limits adopted for statements and rights of reply, as well as deadlines for submission of proposals and inscription on the speakers’ list.  He also urged the Committee members to respect those guidelines related to reduction and shortening of the number of resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, and to allowing sufficient time for preparation of estimates of expenditures entailed by such resolutions.

Adoption of Programme of Work

The Third Committee then adopted its programme of work (document A/C.3/59/L.1/Rev.1), as orally adjusted and corrected by the Secretary.

Next, it decided to extend invitations to address the Committee to a number of Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts of the Commission on Human Rights, including Paolo Sergio Pinheiro, Rodolfo Stavenhagen, Doudou Diene, Shaista Shameem, Emmanuel Akwei Addo, Philip Alston, Cherif Bassiouni, John Dugard, Paul Hunt, Asma Jahangir, Hina Jilani, Vitit Muntarbhorn, Akich Okola, Titinga Frederic Pacere, Gabriela Rodriguez Pizarro, Theo C. van Boven and Jean Ziegler.

A decision on the extension of invitations to additional Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts was postponed, due to the need for further consultations among Member States.

Committee Vice-Chairperson Astanah Banu Shri Abdul Aziz (Malaysia) was then appointed Facilitator for informal consultations on the further rationalization of the Committee’s programme and methods of work, in accordance with General Assembly resolution 58/316 on “Further measures for the revitalization of the work of the General Assembly”.

Statements on Social Development

JOHAN SCHÖLVINCK, Director of the United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development, introduced the reports of the Secretary-General on social development issues.  On implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly, he said the people-centred approach to development remained too abstract a concept.  As the achievement of social development continued to be characterized by a gap between intention and action, three main issues had emerged as reasons for that gap:  social aspects of globalization; macroeconomic policies and social development goals; and the capacity of national governments to undertake social policies.  The report concluded by proposing that the General Assembly recommend particular attention be given to the principle of a people-centred approach and its realization in public policies and development strategies.  Such an approach would require better understanding and management of the social aspects of globalization, the gearing of national and international macroeconomic policies towards the realization of social goals, and the increased capacity of national governments to pursue their own social policies.

Regarding the report on social development, including questions relating to the world social situation and to youth, ageing, disabled persons and the family, he said the report emphasized that the family had a continuing and crucial role to play in social and human development, as well as in the provision of care and support to individuals.  Yet, the contribution of families to eradication of poverty and creation of just, stable and secure societies, among other goals, had generally been overlooked.  Moreover, social and economic forces, such as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, demographic ageing and retirement, migration and globalization, continued significantly to impact countries, communities and families.  Thus, the report focused on national action on behalf of families, suggesting the need for regular national surveys of the situation of families and proposing action for national coordination of family policies and programmes.  It also recommended national action on legal reform, legislation, public awareness, research, service provision and support to non-governmental organizations.

Noting that there was no report on persons with disabilities before the Committee, he drew attention to the consideration given to the report of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Disability Convention, within the context of the Committee’s consideration of human rights issues.  As the Convention’s contents went well beyond human rights, it might be advisable to treat the issue under the item dealing specifically with disabled persons in the future.  On ageing, he said the report highlighted progress made and obstacles encountered by the United Nations system in implementation of the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing.

VIVIANE LAUNAY, Director of the New York Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), presenting the “Implementation of the International Plan of action for the United nations Literacy Decade” (document A/59/267), said the Literacy Decade had been launched in various regions throughout the world, with the involvement of non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, UNESCO and other United Nations agencies, programmes and funds.  However, today there were still more than 100 million children who were out of school and some 800 million adults who were illiterate, the majority being girls and women.  Clearly, literacy was vital to improving the lives of individuals and communities and was crucial for achieving development in all its dimensions.  Unfortunately, the importance of literacy was not adequately recognized.  It was a low priority on the education agenda in many countries and consequently was the weakest link in the global movement of Education for All.

She stressed that concrete actions were needed.  To this end, the Director-General of UNESCO had announced a new adult literacy initiative focused on countries that had an illiteracy rate of above 50 per cent and/or an illiterate population larger than 10 million -- 33 countries in all.  A key task would be to ensure synergy between the Literacy Decade and wider Education for All processes and initiatives.  Action was needed at national, regional, and international levels, with national governments being the most crucial actors.  They needed greater support and encouragement from United Nations and development agencies, along with the close involvement of NGOs, civil society, and the private sector.  Literacy was not simply a skill of reading, writing, and calculating but a means to create a society committed to peace, democracy, social justice, and general well-being.

Discussion

In the discussion following the opening statements, Cuba’s representative asked what macroeconomic policy changes were necessary for implementation of the people-centred approach to development, and Mr. SCHÖLVINCK replied that there must be better integration of economic and social policies.  That required moving away from the hierarchy of priorities in which economic policies took precedence over social policies.  There must also be better coordination between Ministers responsible for economic and social policy.

The representatives of Syria and Sudan asked for specific details on preparations for the celebration of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family and were told that, in addition to the morning plenary meeting of the General Assembly to be held on 6 December, the Division for Social Policy and Development planned to organize an afternoon side-event, to contribute to the celebration.

Requested by the representative of Sudan to provide additional information on specific projects for the eradication of illiteracy in developing countries, particularly in Africa, Ms. LAUNAY of UNESCO stressed three aspects to such projects, which must be prioritized.  The first required “connecting the dots” between all six Education for All goals and the two Millennium Development Goals that addressed education.  Secondly, the international community faced difficulty in assembling statistics on illiteracy at every turn.  That was a political issue, she acknowledged, as all countries wished to look good on paper, but UNESCO continued to work with Member States to devise models to compare nations and regions.  Thirdly, the political will to eliminate illiteracy must be present, especially in terms of resource allocation.

By 2012, she continued, it was hoped that the number of literates would be higher and that political awareness of the issue of illiteracy would have been raised, including girls’ equal right to education and the importance of educating adults.  There must be a holistic approach to literacy.  The UNESCO would continue to work to achieve this through its field offices and its institutions devoted exclusively to education and capacity-building.

In a second round of questions, the representative of the Netherlands said the Commission on Social Development apparently had not addressed sufficiently the impact of globalization on social development.  Were there examples of best practices in terms of the opportunities and challenges for social development offered by globalization?  He also requested elaboration on how the Third Committee could avoid working in isolation from other entities on issues of social development.

In response, Mr. SCHÖLVINCK said the Commission on Social Development had addressed the issue of globalization, but that its work thereon had not found much of an audience in other parts of the United Nations system, particularly in its parent body, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).  While declining to offer examples of best practices, as he was waiting for such examples from States, he agreed that, while monitoring the implementation of agreements such as that adopted at Copenhagen fell primarily upon Member States, there should be a discussion within the United Nations system of issues such as unemployment, which had not been covered by the Millennium Declaration but had been included at Copenhagen.  Overall, policy coherence was of utmost importance in ensuring complementarity in work on economic and social development.

Asked by the representative of Sri Lanka to provide a definition of literacy, Ms. LAUNAY acknowledged that the definition of literacy varied widely from person to person, scholar to scholar, statistician to statistician.  There was no single, agreed definition of literacy available.  However, at base the literacy discussion must centre on primary education, to achieve literacy in reading and basic knowledge in arithmetic.  The circle of education from childhood to adulthood must both be opened and closed to ensure that all individuals could function in everyday tasks such as reading prescription labels and road signs.

ABDULLA EID SALMAN AL-SULATI (Qatar), speaking on behalf of the “Group of 77” countries and China, said that, despite the progress that had been achieved in some areas of economic and social development, they had not fulfilled the spirit of the text adopted by States in the World Summit for Social Development and the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly.  Vast sectors of societies, particularly in the developing and the least developed countries, were still facing serious challenges due to financial crises, poverty, unemployment, inequality in income growth, and the spread of deadly diseases like AIDS.  The Group of 77 and China were convinced that achieving social development, and the movement towards equitable societies with equal rights and opportunities, continued to be characterized by a gap between intentions and actions, between proclaimed objectives and the actual orientation of national and international policies.

He said that achieving the internationally agreed development goals demanded a new partnership between developed and developing countries, the establishment of good governance, the guarantee of the rule of law, the mobilization of resources, and the promotion of international trade as an engine for development.  The Group of 77 and China, therefore, urged developed countries to make concrete efforts towards achieving the target of providing 0.7 per cent of their gross national product (GNP) as official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries and from 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of their GNP as ODA to least developed countries.  He added that the Group of 77 and China were completely convinced that, while social development was primarily a national responsibility, it could not be successfully achieved without the collective commitment and joined efforts of the international community and within the framework of full respect for national sovereignty and the religious and cultural diversity of different societies.

PETER-DERREK HOF (Netherlands), on behalf of the European Union, said the European Union continued to strongly support the implementation of the commitments made at the Copenhagen Summit, which stressed the need for a social dimension of development, the eradication of poverty, and the goals of full employment and the fostering of stable and just societies.  The European Union remained fully committed to the comprehensive implementation of the Millennium Declaration.  It also welcomed the report by the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization and its emphasis on people-focused globalization and the attention paid to poverty reduction, gender equality, employment, health, education, social security and social services.

The European Union also welcomed the leadership of the United Nations Secretary-General to foster the debate on international migration, as the Union had given top political priority to the issues of migration.  It was committed to a balanced approach between the reception and integration of legal immigrants on the one hand, and the urgent need to stop illegal immigration and to fight trafficking in human beings on the other.  The European Union awaited with interest the final report of the Global Commission for International Migration, with its focus on the identification of priority challenges and policy options, and hoped the report would contribute to a better informed international debate on migration.

Turning to other social development issues, he said the sixtieth session of the General Assembly needed to address the priorities defined in the World Programme of Action, which was observing its tenth anniversary in 2005.  He added that this should be done with the full and effective participation of the youth.  The European Union also looked forward to the continuation next year of the negotiating process for an international convention on the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by persons with disabilities.  It attached great importance to the implementation of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing and welcomed the road map for its implementation presented last year by the Secretariat.  Finally, the Commission for Social Development needed to be revitalized in order to become a more action-oriented forum and to foster greater cooperation with specialized agencies worldwide towards the promotion of social development.

ZHANG YISHAN (China) said many countries had made relentless efforts to implement international agreements on social development such as the 1995 Copenhagen Programme of Action, and had achieved many positive results.  However, achievement of the goals set out at the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the Millennium Summit still remained far off, as disease, poverty and unemployment continued to plague many developing countries.  Translating its consensus into political will and concrete action remained a severe test for the international community.

Convinced that coordinated and balanced social development was important to both the well-being of a nation and to the maintenance of international peace and security, he suggested that the international community should focus on promoting social development and achieving the Millennium Development Goals by creating an environment of peace and stability at both the national and international level; promoting the establishment of an international economic order favourable to balanced world development and the elimination of negative impacts of globalization; honouring commitments on debt relief, accelerating technology transfers and abandoning trade protectionism; exploring ways to resolve the contradiction between productivity gains and employment creation and setting up effective social security systems; and undertaking greater responsibility in the area of social development through the United Nations system.

Through its own unremitting efforts, China had reduced its rural population living in absolute poverty from 80 million in 1993 to 29 million in 2003, he stressed.  The Chinese Government would continue to contribute to maintenance of world peace and promotion of common development through putting peoples’ interests first and making unswerving efforts to reduce poverty in China.

FREDERICO S. DUQUE ESTRADA MEYER (Brazil), on behalf of the Rio Group, said important progress had been achieved in the Social Summit with the idea that political and development strategies should always strive for human development.  There was clear recognition that while globalization offered development possibilities, it had produced asymmetries and had, in many cases, increased poverty and inequality.  This underscored the need to manage the risks and changes provoked by globalization.  In order to reduce poverty and to create decent working conditions, to meet housing, sanitation and water needs, it was necessary to strengthen multilateralism and to develop integrated strategies.

He noted that a meeting at United Nations Headquarters on 20 September --Action Against Hunger and Poverty--had stressed the principle of keeping the individual at the centre of development policies.  The meeting declared that the persistence of hunger and extreme poverty was economically irrational, politically unacceptable and morally shameful.  It served as a reminder that beyond the surface of all discussions lay a problem concerning human beings.  National and international action was needed to solve this human problem.  On the national level, it was necessary to evaluate the social impact of macroeconomic policies.  The Rio Group recognized that, along with the principle that democracy was a critical element in sustainable development.  Internationally, there was a lack of adequate financial mechanisms to manage international financial crises, and reform of the international financial system was needed.  The Rio Group wished to emphasize that however great the challenges towards social development, it was possible to make progress with energy and creativity and without losing sight of the human goal behind all development strategies.

MICHELLE JOSEPH (Saint Lucia), speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), said that, regionally, the CARICOM Committee on Human and Social Development continued to accelerate efforts to bring coherence to the functioning of various social sectors and complementarity between the economic and human dimensions of Caribbean development.  The Committee remained at the forefront of efforts to promote regional programme on youth and development, crime and security, gender, education, culture and the Pan-Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS.  Concerning youth and development, CARICOM had created an inter-agency coordinating mechanism aimed at streamlining and combining human, technical, financial and other resources to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS among young people.  It also maintained the Caribbean Youth Ambassadors Programme as a mechanism for leadership development and youth participation.

She noted that CARICOM had adopted the Caribbean Charter on Health and Ageing to design a coordinated and systematic approach to ensuring the health and full integration of older persons in Caribbean societies and economies.  The Caribbean subregional headquarters of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) had also produced a report on population ageing in the Caribbean, which provided a demographic analysis of the ageing process, while a Caribbean Symposium on Population Ageing was scheduled for November 2004.

Reiterating support for the Working Group on a disability convention, she endorsed the ongoing work of the Ad Hoc Committee drafting the convention and said CARICOM States continued to advocate for initiatives focused on redressing the disproportionate level of unemployment among the disabled and the eliminating discriminatory practices.  Regarding family, she offered CARICOM’s support for the recommendations of the Secretary-General on the need for United Nations support to provide technical assistance to national coordination mechanisms, diagnostic studies and research and data collection, among other activities.

Statement by Under-Secretary-General

JOSÉ ANTONIO OCAMPO, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said the Commission for Social Development would conduct a review of the implementation of the outcomes of the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in March 1995 and of the twenty-fourth session held in Geneva in 2000.  The World Summit for Social Development had called for a people-centred approach to development recognized in the Millennium Declaration, an approach that recognized people and the improvement of their living conditions as the ultimate objective of public policies.  The realization of this approach required progress in the eradication of poverty, in achieving full employment, and in enhancing social integration.  It also required a better integration of economic and social objectives, with the core issue remaining the implementation of economic policies explicitly geared towards the realization of social goals.

He stressed that, in addition to sustained economic growth critical to poverty reduction, other fundamental development aspects -- such as employment, education, health care, and social integration -- needed to be forcefully brought back into policy formation if the causes of poverty were to be successfully addressed.  Also central to the integration of social and economic policies were concerns about the impact of globalization on social conditions.  He said the controversy surrounding globalization, as well as the surge of security issues on the international agenda, should not detract intergovernmental attention from the social and cultural implications of globalization and their impact on development.  Social development was a national responsibility, though it could not be successfully achieved without the collective commitment and efforts of the international community.  Social development required the systematic efforts at all levels of policy-making to place people at the centre of public strategies and actions.

Turning to other issues related to social development, he said the Department of Economic and Social Affairs had addressed the situation of older persons by striving to provide technical assistance to Member States to support the mainstreaming of ageing into policy formation.  Integrating the disadvantaged into society, he added, were crucial tasks in achieving greater social solidarity and stronger social cohesion which provided the underpinnings for successful economic outcomes, thus reinforcing “the virtuous circle” of development.  He noted that the Tenth Anniversary of the International Year of the Family celebrated this year was an occasion to recognize the achievement of a greater awareness of what families contributed to economic development and social progress in societies throughout the world.  There had been progress in this area during the past 10 years, with many Member States having instituted national programmes of action and collaboration.

Finally, he noted that, of the three core issues critical to social development -- the eradication of poverty, creation of employment, and social integration -- the latter two had often been left out of the current policy debate.  The Third Committee had a special responsibility to bring them back into the development discourse in order to implement the Copenhagen Commitments and to achieve the Development Goals set forth in the Millennium Declaration.

Discussion

In a discussion segment following the Under-Secretary-General’s address, the representative of the Dominican Republic noted that the issue of poverty reduction had been on the international agenda since Monterrey, yet in the current world situation, civil society remained outside the circle of policy makers.  How could there be social development in such a circumstance?  He also requested the Under-Secretary-General to address the current economic situation with regard to rising oil prices.

For his part, the representative of the Netherlands asked how the Under-Secretary-General would redress the situation in which the two pillars of employment creation and social integration had been left out of the development dialogue.

In response, Mr. OCAMPO noted that poverty alleviation did not depend on economic growth alone, but that factors such as income distribution had proven to be critical determinants in the past.  However, major advances in poverty alleviation had always been associated with economic growth, and it was, thus, hard to envisage achievement of the Millennium Development Goals without broad-based economic growth.  It should also be noted that not all patterns of economic growth were equally pro-poor.  Economic policies, not just social policies, should, therefore, figure at the centre of the poverty eradication agenda.

On current oil prices, he said that, historically, a price increase of $10 per barrel had tended to reduce world economic growth by one half to one per cent in two years.  Whether that historical pattern was replicated in today’s world would depend on many factors, including the policy-setting response of monetary authorities.

Thirdly, he said that the issue of employment played a central role in any social problem -– employment constituted the major meeting point between economic and social development.  Therefore, in order for economic growth to have a social impact, it must be accompanied by increases in employment.

In a second round of questions, Cuba’s representative raised the issue of the worldwide unequal distribution of wealth and requested the Under-Secretary-General to provide further information on the problems faced in achieving a more equitable distribution, as well as the role to be played by the United Nations, while the representative of Sri Lanka asked how the effects of globalization could be reconciled with a people-centred social development.

Responding, Mr. OCAMPO agreed that studies had been carried out, which showed that the worsening trend of distribution of wealth in countries had been widespread over the last 30 years in all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, as well as in most developing countries.  Moreover, some very poor countries –- such as China and India –- had grown rapidly, while some medium-income countries of Latin America had been unable to achieve similar levels of growth.  Combining those trends and examining them side by side, he concluded that it was debatable whether the overall situation had gotten worse, but speculated that wealth creation in China and India might have off-set the overall outlook.

To Sri Lanka, he noted that one of the conclusions of the World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalization had been that globalization was not a natural process, but one in which individuals and governments made specific decisions.  Some of the countries that had best succeeded in achieving economic growth in the past 25 years had done so by exploiting the opportunities offered by that phenomenon.  Therefore, it was the ability of national governments to manage globalization that was critical.  The point was not to oppose globalization, but to use it.

DORIS BERTRAND, Inspector from the Joint Inspection Unit, in a presentation of her report on Achieving the Universal Primary Education Goal of the Millennium Declaration, said the education goals of the Millennium Declaration called for children everywhere to be able to complete a full course of primary schooling by 2015, and to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and at all levels of education no later than 2015.

There were six main issues to be addressed, she said, starting with the underestimation of the importance of education.  Education needed to be of higher priority nationally and internationally in renewed political commitments to reforms and in increased development assistance.  Also needed was better and increased cooperation among United Nations organizations working in the field.  She stressed the need for integration of social policies and education in wider, nationally owned, not donor-driven, development and poverty reduction strategies.

Another key issue of concern was increasing the knowledge base about education and the quality of education.  She reminded delegates that the number of children who were missing education could double, and they would become the adult illiterates of the future.  She noted the importance of data on external aid to education and the monitoring of commitments and avoiding process overloads that hampered ownership.

She recommended that ECOSOC organize in 2006 or 2007 a review and assessment of the meeting of poverty reduction goals and education goals in order to ensure that all commitments made in the context of action plans were being implemented in a coherent, coordinated fashion.  The final test lay in implementation, she said.  In closing, she again emphasized that today’s children were the adults of tomorrow.

Subsequently, the representative of Senegal asked what strategy was to be employed to ensure access to primary education for all and requested specific examples of success in that regard.  In response, Ms. BERTRAND noted that it had been agreed that primary responsibility for achievement of development goals –- including Education for All –- remained with national governments.  Yet, there was a definite need for the international community to support those efforts.  Thus, it had also been agreed, at the 2000 Dakar conference on Education for All, that no country should be thwarted in its efforts to achieve Education for All goals for lack of resources.  This statement had rightly been interpreted as the international donor community’s commitment to help national governments in need.  Furthermore, the World Bank had adopted a fast-track programme for education to help countries possessing clear-cut Education for All policies to achieve their goals.

NANA EFFAH-APENTENG (Ghana) said the reality of the global social situation confronting the international community today was more dismal than had been envisaged nearly 10 years ago at the Copenhagen Summit for Social Development.  While there had been impressive and unprecedented progress in human development in the last century, massive human deprivation continued.  More than 800 million people suffered from under-nourishment, with more than 1 billion living on less than $1 per day.  Some 100 million children, who should be in school, were not -– 60 million of them girls.  Clearly, global policies and programmes had not yielded expected results for poverty eradication for improvement of socio-economic well-being.

Notwithstanding their strong determination to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, developing countries’ national development policies seemed to be failing consistently, he noted, due to an unfavourable international economic environment, inadequate official development assistance (ODA) and insufficient foreign direct investment (FDI) flows.  Moreover, low economic performance in developing countries had been further compounded by the ravages of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and other diseases.  There must be a real transformation of the global economic environment to allow for support and enabling of national development policies.  Developed countries must sincerely commit to the development principles agreed at the Doha Round.

In spite of the economic challenges it faced, Ghana remained committed to socio-economic advancement, he stressed.  Five priority areas –- infrastructure development, modernization of agriculture, delivery of enhanced social services, strengthening of the private sector and strengthening of the institutions of good governance -– had been set.  At the international level, the invigorated strategies employed by the United Nations system to implement the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing were welcomed, as was the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the drafting of a Disabilities Convention.  Finally, the outcomes of the regional and international activities conducted to mark the tenth anniversary of the International Year of the Family should seek to ensure that this most basic unit of society did not further deteriorate.

Ms. ERARD (Switzerland) said her delegation considered the protection of human rights, the promotion of good governance and equitable global growth as indispensable in reducing poverty, in promoting full employment and in achieving social integration.  She noted that there were three shortcomings that represented global challenges:  the evaluation of the social impact of globalization, assuring the compatibility of macroeconomic policies with social development objectives, and reinforcing the capacity of governments to define and apply their own social policies.

She said Switzerland welcomed the conclusions of the World Commission on the Social Dimensions of Globalization’s report released in February 2004, which addressed the social impact of globalization.  It also supported, in particular, the proposals related to the need to integrate social, economic and environmental aspects into national and international development policies.  During the twenty-fourth special session of the General Assembly, Switzerland had proposed a multilateral initiative among the International Labour Organization (ILO), Bretton Woods institutions and UNCTAD, with a view to proceeding toward a joint study on the theme of development, poverty, trade and labour.  It still seemed possible to realize such an initiative.  It was also important to guarantee an effective follow-up to social development by United Nations bodies.  At the national level, it was the responsibility of each State to enact adequate social polices.  Sustainable social development required conditions favourable to social dialogue, establishing balanced social security systems, and decent working conditions.  In this regard, it was critical to continue the dialogue on corporate social responsibility.

JANUS TARP (Denmark) said that negotiations for an integral and comprehensive convention on persons with disabilities constituted the most important international effort in that field in several decades.  At its most recent session, the Ad Hoc Committee on the drafting of that convention had made significant progress, although the Committee now faced tough negotiations about core issues.  Finding the right solutions to those problems would require much good will from all Member States.  The position of the Danish Government held that the Third Committee should endorse continuation of the Ad Hoc Committee’s work for two sessions in 2005; while looking forward to the entry into force of the convention, all should recognize that patience was required.  The process leading up to the convention was in itself a period with an exceptionally strong focus on disability issues, during which governments should prepare national legislation and procedures for implementation of the convention and enhancement of equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in accordance with the United Nations Standard Rules.

Also addressing the Committee, BJARKE FRIIS (Denmark), a representative of the Danish Youth Council, noted that money made the world go round, yet only a few nations had met the United Nations recommendation to allocate 0.7 per cent of GDP to official development assistance.  If the Millennium Development Goals were to be met, that performance must be improved.  Of course, he added, it was equally important to invest the funds allocated to development assistance with prudence –- and investment in children and young people was a prudent choice.  However, children and young people were often overlooked, both as a resource and as a group that ought to be allowed to participate in policy-making.  During next year’s review of the Millennium Goals, youth viewpoints should be included, for instance through the holding of regional seminars.

BILAL HAYEE (Pakistan) said the Copenhagen Declaration had acknowledged that more than 1 million people in the world lived in abject poverty, with limited access to education, health care and nutrition.  The commitments made at the World Summit to create more equitable access to income, resources and social services were still far from realization.  A people-centred approach to social progress and development was still to be achieved.  Social development required systematic efforts at all levels of policy-making.

He said Pakistan stood in line with the position of the Group of 77 that achieving the internationally agreed goals demanded a new partnership between developed and developing nations.  His Government had taken several initiatives in the field of social development, especially in the political and economic empowerment of its people.  Large-scale efforts had been made to improve delivery of social services, including health care, education, sanitation and water supply.

He stressed that the family was first line of defence against social disharmony.  Various forms of the family existed in different systems, but the definition of the family had never changed.  He added that those elevating other forms of unions to the status of family were transgressing the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and violating the rights of the family to comprehensive support and protection.  Noting that Pakistan had an elderly population of 8.5 million, he said his Government had accorded high priority to the Madrid Plan of Action.  In looking after its elders, Pakistan had derived guidance from the injunctions of Islam and its cherished traditions that enjoined special care and respect for older people.

HEDDA HAAKESTAD, a youth representative of Norway, said the trafficking in women and children should be fought by attacking its root causes.  Poverty was beyond doubt one of the key factors, depriving women of education and employment and often forcing them into the sex industry.  Furthermore, trafficking was a common post-conflict problem that thrived in the power vacuum that often arose in post-conflict situations.

The fight to end the trade in human beings, she continued, called for a multifaceted strategy requiring action on the national and international levels.  She urged all States to ratify and implement the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which stated that all women are to be protected against abduction and trafficking.  It was crucial, she added, that all countries ratify the United Nations Protocol against Human Trafficking.

She said the Norwegian Government had given high priority to efforts to combat trafficking and had presented an Action Plan against human trafficking.  It had also made an important contribution to halting the trade in sexual services at the national level, including the introduction of a code of conduct for government employees that prohibited the purchase of sexual services while on business trips abroad.

ASSOUMOU FLORE (Côte d’Ivoire) noted that the right to education had been enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and stressed that allowing adults access to education opened the road to democracy, peace and development.  Development required men and women able to read and write, and so the goal of literacy campaigns must be to enable men and women to understand the modern world and facilitate development, not merely to give them diplomas.

In her own country, she continued, illiteracy rates stood at 53 per cent of the population, with women constituting two thirds of that number.  The next most illiterate group were those living in rural areas, who were unable to benefit from technical innovation in the field of agriculture.  Thus, convinced that basic education for all adults would play a crucial role in elimination of poverty, the Government had taken concrete steps to improve the quality of adult education.  Among other initiatives, the Autonomous Literacy Service had been established to help design, prepare and implement adequate strategies for the reduction of illiteracy from 53 per cent today to 15 per cent by 2010.

The national literacy campaign was aimed particularly at improving the economic and human capital of the most vulnerable sections of society, she noted.  Thus, women’s autonomy was encouraged through literacy, while illiteracy in rural areas was combated through the study of local languages by the Institute of Applied Linguistics.  In the latter regard, books had already been published in over 20 local languages.  However, a great deal remained to be done to spread Education for All throughout the country.  In particular, the shortage of qualified teachers and suitable teaching materials hampered national efforts, as did the prevailing political situation.

Mr. AL-KHOSHAIL (Saudi Arabia) said his Government was committed to raising its citizens’ living standards and to creating a more favourable climate for their welfare.  In that regard, the Labour Ministry had undertaken to develop human resources and to improve the population’s professional and scientific capacities, while the Ministry of Social Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Labour, had undertaken a programme for the promotion of citizens’ economic and social welfare and to assist them in improving their social welfare position.

Regarding persons with disabilities, he stressed that the Government sought to invest in a source of untapped human resources, through intensive vocational training and sophisticated social care.  Thirty-one social development centres had been established to cooperate productively with the seven committees for social care.  Such Government-supported initiatives sought to provide the best means for disabled peoples’ decent living, care and integration into social life.  They had been granted the best training, care and employment opportunities, given their situation.  The Government had also made grants to the families of persons with disabilities to enable them to care for their children.  Centres had also been established to care for children suffering from polio.

Despite the harsh economic conditions of the past two decades, the Government had dealt patiently and wisely with economic crises and sought to mitigate their adverse effects on social development, he said.  The ship of development had been steered away from the rocks threatening it.  Throughout, the optimum exploitation of the economy had been sought so as to be invested rationally in the service of development, as evidenced by the decision to invest 40 billion Saudi riyals in welfare programmes this year.

ENCHO GOSPODINOV, of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, stressed that governments must understand the importance of building a strong relationship with their Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, which, by law, were auxiliaries to the public authorities of their countries in the humanitarian field.  This issue had become particularly acute as there had been a marked decline of resources allocated to social development issues in virtually all countries.  Furthermore, reductions in expenditure for social development had been hit hardest in the countries which could least afford such divestment.

The Federation saw social development as a set of issues and themes which needed to be mainstreamed into other debates.  It looked forward to highlighting its interests and concerns at the 2005 session of the Commission for Social Development, with the hope that the debates there would lead to a wider recognition of these issues.  This was especially important if the decline in public investment in the social sector continued.

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